Middle Georgia State University's enrollment is growing at the fastest rate in four years just as the institution lands on a U.S. News & World Report best college rankings list for the first time.

As of September 10, Middle Georgia State's fall enrollment is at nearly 7,800. That's 6 percent higher than 2017’s fall enrollment and the largest student population since 2014.

 A significant portion of that increase is attributed to an 18 percent increase in new undergraduate students, with MGA welcoming over 2,500 new students this semester.  Among these new faces at MGA are students from 16 countries, 25 states, and 126 of Georgia’s 159 counties.  The incoming class’s most common majors are nursing, business, biology, aviation science and management, and information technology.

 The University’s undergraduate programs aren’t the only ones seeing increased growth – this semester marks the highest new graduate enrollment since the institution started its first master’s degree programs in spring 2016.  With 213 graduate students, MGA boasts its largest-ever graduate enrollment in fall 2018.

 “Our efforts to purposefully and intelligently increase enrollment have paid off, both for the institution and the region,” said Jennifer Stenander, vice president for enrollment management.  “We’re excited to welcome our largest incoming class in recent history, and to be able to take part in helping even more students find their way to a meaningful and rewarding education.”

Middle Georgia State University was created through the consolidation of Macon State College and Middle Georgia College. For the first time since that consolidation, U.S. News & World Report included Middle Georgia State University on one of its just-released "best" lists. Middle Georgia State, which is part of the University System of Georgia, ranked 12th on the list of “Top Public Regional Colleges in the South.”

"We are seeing results of our intense focus on elevating the mission of Middle Georgia State University to better serve our students and our communities," said Dr. Christopher Blake, MGA's president.  “Inclusion in the U.S. News rankings is simply another piece of evidence validating what our enrollment numbers are already telling us - that an increasing number of students, both here in middle Georgia and around the world, are recognizing the value of the education we provide.”